Where to stay in Rovaniemi. Glass igools, snow hotels, wooden cottages in Lapland

Perhaps deciding where to stay in Rovaniemi was the most difficult part of planning the trip – all types of accommodation looked great and had their benefits. Hotels sounded good for being clear where they are located – it’s Rovaniemi centre, it’s easy to get from the airport and from everywhere else, I thought we would use public transportation. Glass igloos seem to be the most perfect ever accommodation in Arctic places, but would you risk spending 600 EUR/night for the glass roof, and then northern lights just don’t come?

I never thought of staying in the Santa Claus Village – it was obvious that this is the most crowded place in the region, and I couldn’t expect anything authentic. But I really considered the Arctic Treehouse stay – because its’ front side is made of glass, it’s high enough to see the sky, and the price was something in between normal accommodation and the igloos. But luckily I didn’t book it! Once in Lapland I found out that they are located just next to the Santa Village, and very close to the road (there is no huge traffic, but you don’t feel like being immersed in the forest, when the road is a walk away). Besides that all the tree houses are looking at each other, I mean people are walking in and out, and you just have your ‘curtains’ on the front side open. The treehouses are not quite high, and many of them are facing the south side. This means that you’ll see the sky enlightened by the airport, which doesn’t help you seeing the northern lights, unless the solar activity is super strong.

That’s how I ended up with Airbnb and for the first time I faced a situation when it had a broader offering than the official hotels/resorts. It was triple hard to choose now!

So how did I filter all the great houses on their platform:

It had to be made of wood, like in a fairy tale

In the forest – otherwise it makes no sense

Not more than 30 min drive from civilization

With a sauna

Not more than 100 EUR/night incl. cleaning fees and Airbnb commission

And I found it with an extra bonus: fireplace in the house and a grill outside in a separate cabin! The house really looked like a fairy tale place, the interior was well-thought-out till the last detail, the kitchen had everything you’d need to cook dinner for a dozen of guests and even bake a cake. When we arrived the owner pre-heated the sauna, so we could just start the night from the very Lappish thing. The cottage was perhaps twice bigger than I expected based on the photos, so at first we were sure that we arrived to the wrong place. During this stay we didn’t have to worry about anything but fire – we had a lot of wood ready to use; the only thing left was actually lighting up the fire in the grill and sauna 🙂

Hotels in Rovaniemi

Arctic Light Hotel – a family run hotel in contemporary style located in central Rovaniemi in the building of the former City Hall – 132-638 EUR/night

Hotel Aakenus – a close to Rovaniemi centre, offering stays from single to family rooms, price includes breakfast, sauna, praking, Wifi – 79-277 EUR/night

Hotel Cumulus Resort Polar – open from November to March, located in the city centre, and has some important facilities like heated garage, fitness centre, two saunas – 114 to 229 EUR/night

Hotel Vartiosaari – located on the island of the famous Kemijoki river in Rovaniemi, a 72 m bridge connects it to the mainland. The hotel has 11 rooms only, and you may book it wholly for yourself including the island. They offer Finnish sauna usage for free and a riverside sauna for private use on reservation. Prices – 131 to 354 EUR/night

Original Sokos Hotel Vaakuna Rovaniemi – a high-class hotel in the centre of Rovaniemi, with a heated garage, 3 saunas, meeting facilities, a French restaurant and a nightclub. Prices from 116 to 290 EUR/night

Santa’s Hotel Santa Claus – please don’t confuse with Santa Claus Village, this hotel is situated in the city centre. It’s one of the largest hotels in the area (168 rooms) and most of pick ups for various activities are done here. The hotel is suitable for meetings and conferences. Prices from 121 to 265 EUR/night

Scandic Rovaniemi – located just in between two shopping centres in Rovaniemi, it has plenty of facilities like gym and sauna, Nordic walking poles and bicycles, kids playing room. Prices from 98 EUR/night

Hostels in Rovaniemi

Santa’s Hostel Rudolf – a cozy hostel in the centre, part of Santa’s Hotels chain, has dormitories and private rooms. Prices are from 42 EUR/night

Guesthouse Borealis – located in the area of train & bus station in Rovaniemi, with prices from 53 EUR/night for a single room

Hostel Café Koti – the hostel is situated in the centre, has dormitories and private rooms, a sauna for common use, offers breakfasts and an equipped kitchen. Prices from 38 EUR/night